A Great and Sudden Change Scattered throughout literature are the unfortunate corpses of supporting characters.
For instance, the titular character of Shakespeare’s Macbeth arranges the murder of Banquo, his fellow-soldier and best friend. In a work of Oscar Wilde’s, Dorian Gray stabs his friend in order to conceal ruinous information. In neither case does the main character directly suffer; rather, a character close to the main character dies. Why does such a thing occur? According to Thomas Foster, a professor of literature, “The plot needs something to happen in order for it to move forward, so someone must be sacrificed,” with the main character seldom fulfilling that role (84). Mary Shelley relied on that principle while writing Frankenstein: …show more content…
Where no friends exist, one can derive neither meaning nor purpose from life. The Creature leads Frankenstein to an abandoned cabin wherein he relays his story, placing emphasis on his loneliness, and demands that Frankenstein create him a mate. Frankenstein’s initial agreement to satisfy his son’s desire quickly dissipates, culminating when he “shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest” and subsequently “tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged” (121). His frantic actions reflect a lack of foresight as shortly thereafter, Frankenstein returns to the mainland and learns of the discovery of a young man’s corpse with “the black mark of fingers on his neck” (128), precisely as those left upon his brother’s neck. Upon recognizing the corpse as his dearest friend, Henry Clerval, Frankenstein develops a fever which lasts months and “[his] ravings, as [he] afterwards heard, were frightful,” such that he endured incarceration once the fever subsided (130). Due to his lack of compassion towards the creature, Frankenstein grew not only physically and mentally ill but lost the support and companionship of his closest …show more content…
Arising also from Frankenstein’s revocation of his promise, the Creature confronts his creator, ominously warning that he “shall be with [Frankenstein] on [his] wedding-night” (123). Such a startling threat grows more potent following both the aforementioned death of Clerval and Frankenstein’s later engagement to Elizabeth. Prior to his wedding, Frankenstein grows increasingly anxious with the Creature’s words echoing through his mind. Although Frankenstein promised to impart upon Elizabeth a wretched secret during their wedding night, he “earnestly intreated her to retire, resolving not to join her until I had obtained some knowledge as to the situation of my enemy” (144). Such a decision allowed the Creature to enter the property and destroy one of the few remaining persons whom Frankenstein esteemed. Following his discovery of her corpse, Frankenstein proclaims that the Creature had stolen from him “every hope of future happiness” (146). Her loss affected him deeply, leading him to also remark: “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change” (146), a manifestation of his accumulated grief which resulted in solitary confinement. Through denial of his creation’s desires, Frankenstein cost himself his dearest love and source of
For instance, the titular character of Shakespeare’s Macbeth arranges the murder of Banquo, his fellow-soldier and best friend. In a work of Oscar Wilde’s, Dorian Gray stabs his friend in order to conceal ruinous information. In neither case does the main character directly suffer; rather, a character close to the main character dies. Why does such a thing occur? According to Thomas Foster, a professor of literature, “The plot needs something to happen in order for it to move forward, so someone must be sacrificed,” with the main character seldom fulfilling that role (84). Mary Shelley relied on that principle while writing Frankenstein: …show more content…
Where no friends exist, one can derive neither meaning nor purpose from life. The Creature leads Frankenstein to an abandoned cabin wherein he relays his story, placing emphasis on his loneliness, and demands that Frankenstein create him a mate. Frankenstein’s initial agreement to satisfy his son’s desire quickly dissipates, culminating when he “shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest” and subsequently “tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged” (121). His frantic actions reflect a lack of foresight as shortly thereafter, Frankenstein returns to the mainland and learns of the discovery of a young man’s corpse with “the black mark of fingers on his neck” (128), precisely as those left upon his brother’s neck. Upon recognizing the corpse as his dearest friend, Henry Clerval, Frankenstein develops a fever which lasts months and “[his] ravings, as [he] afterwards heard, were frightful,” such that he endured incarceration once the fever subsided (130). Due to his lack of compassion towards the creature, Frankenstein grew not only physically and mentally ill but lost the support and companionship of his closest …show more content…
Arising also from Frankenstein’s revocation of his promise, the Creature confronts his creator, ominously warning that he “shall be with [Frankenstein] on [his] wedding-night” (123). Such a startling threat grows more potent following both the aforementioned death of Clerval and Frankenstein’s later engagement to Elizabeth. Prior to his wedding, Frankenstein grows increasingly anxious with the Creature’s words echoing through his mind. Although Frankenstein promised to impart upon Elizabeth a wretched secret during their wedding night, he “earnestly intreated her to retire, resolving not to join her until I had obtained some knowledge as to the situation of my enemy” (144). Such a decision allowed the Creature to enter the property and destroy one of the few remaining persons whom Frankenstein esteemed. Following his discovery of her corpse, Frankenstein proclaims that the Creature had stolen from him “every hope of future happiness” (146). Her loss affected him deeply, leading him to also remark: “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change” (146), a manifestation of his accumulated grief which resulted in solitary confinement. Through denial of his creation’s desires, Frankenstein cost himself his dearest love and source of